Steve Bannon, the former adviser to Donald Trump, was arrested yesterday on serious conspiracy charges. The former adviser may have defrauded donors in a scam designed to personally enrich himself.
Bannon and two co-conspirators used a fund called “We Build the Wall” to line their own pockets, according to prosecutors. The “We Build the Wall” campaign promised to use all of its funds to help construct a border wall along the US-Mexico border, one of Trump’s campaign promises.
Pundits online noted the irony of Bannon and his co-conspirators using a broken campaign promise to defraud Republican donors. Bannon himself, however, alleges that the charges against him are untrue. On his podcast Friday morning, Bannon told followers that this is a “political hit job” that prosecutors designed to intimidate followers of the president. Prosecutors disagree, noting the paper trail that shows Bannon embezzled money from the fundraiser.
Friday morning, Bannon pled not guilty on charges of money laundering and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Prosecutors allege that Bannon used hundreds of thousands of dollars from the fund to cover his own personal expenses. Moreover, officials accuse him of using at least one million dollars from the fund to secretly pay co-conspirator Brian Kolfage.
The fund, which has raised $25 million in three years, promised to help pay for the border wall. Trump originally promised to build the wall during his 2016 campaign. In reality, there is no construction happening. Trump also promised during the 2016 campaign that Mexico would pay for the construction of such a wall. Mexico has furnished no such funds to the US. Bannon used Trump’s broken promise to profit from supporters who wanted to donate.
The charges Bannon faces are considerable. Since they are state charges, if he is guilty, the president will be unable to pardon him. Bannon could face as much as 25 years locked up. Needless to say, the former adviser is likely searching for the best deodorant to wear in a crowded prison.
Most of Trump’s political opponents (and even some of his allies) have accused Steve Bannon of being a white supremacist. His connection to the Trump Administration informed many critics on Trump’s own political leanings. Early in his administration, Trump purged Bannon from the inner circle, perhaps noting how poisonous an avowed white nationalist was for his own reputation.
